1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic chat communications and, more particularly, to a chat tool for concurrently chatting over more than one interrelated chat channels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic chat communications, which include chat room communications, instant messaging and text messaging, are an increasingly popular means for two or more people to communication in virtual real time. For example, chat sessions for conveying a quick note are often used in lieu of a phone call between two individuals. Additionally, an ability to quickly communicate with more than one person using chat communications often saves time in collaborative efforts, such as team projects.
Sometimes during a chat session, it is desirable to have private side discussions with a select set of participants of the original chat session. For example, two or three people participating in a chat session established for a large project may wish to have a private side discussion with each other pertaining to a sub-team issue. A limited set of options exists using conventional technologies for establishing such a side discussion.
One conventional option includes sending a single message to a targeted chat participant using a “whisper mode.” Whisper mode communications occur in the same chat channel as the main chat session, which typically results in relatively low security for whispered messages. Additionally, whisper mode communications are generally restricted to messages exchanged between two individuals. Further, whisper mode messages often require additional windows to be open and/or keystrokes to be entered making extensive communications via a whisper mode difficult.
Another conventional option involves privately coordinating with one or more individuals to conduct a sidebar conversation in a second chat room or chat session. This coordination can be done using “whisper mode” communications and/or using a separate communication channel to coordinate details for establishing the second chat session. For example, when an additional session is desired, often the second session will be initiated using an instant message communication channel. When the second chat session is initiated, the session conventionally occurs in a separate window often using a different communication application. Participating in multiple communication sessions, each having a different window, can require a user to continuously switch back and forth between windows. This continuous switching makes simultaneous participation in both chat sessions difficult. Also, the opening of a second communication window can consume additional computing resources, such as processor cycles and screen real estate, which can be particularly problematic when participation in the chat sessions occurs using a mobile device having limited resources.